The Toledo Walleye have added another BGSU Falcon to their 2023-2024 roster with the signing of forward Brandon Kruse.
Kruse was drafted by Las Vegas in the fifth round of the 2018 NHL draft but made his professional debut in the AHL with the Henderson Silver Knight at the end of the 2021-2022 season. He only skated in three games, making one assist. His first full-season professional debut was with the Newfoundland Growlers in 2022-2023. He appeared in 69 games, scoring seven goals and racking up 37 assists for 44 points.
The Saline, Michigan native spent four years with the Bowling Green State University Falcons before ending his college career with a season at Boston College. At BGSU, Kruse appeared in 151 games. He scored 38 goals and had 104 assists. In his best season, he scored 41 points, tenth ten goals, and 31 assists during his second season with the Falcons (2018-2019). In his final season with the Falcons, he had a team-best +29 rating and led the team in points with 34. The 24-year-old made the WCHA All-Rookie Team for the 2017-2018 season and part of the WCHA First Team for the 2020-2021 season.
